Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway, SC

Six-thirty came pretty early this morning. It was in the low forties overnight here in the hills of northern South Carolina, and we did not turn the heat on before going to bed. The coffee maker started grinding away right on time to have us up and ready for the service technician’s arrival, but we were snug under the comforter and it took a while for me to muster up the courage to get up and bring two cups of java back to bed. But hey, a guy has to do what a guy has to do. (I also turned on the heat)

Wayne, great guy and he knows his stuff.

Wayne showed up a little after eight to take the coach into the service bay, so we headed off to Mr. Waffle! I don’t know about you, but we think there is nothing quite like breakfast at a country diner.

After breakfast we decided to explore the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway. This is SC Hwy 11 and it winds its way up to Gaffney from the Georgia border. We did not have the time to travel the whole 115 miles each way, but we saw that there were some interesting old bridges within a reasonable drive. I wish I could say we had a nice day for the drive, but it was drizzling with low clouds that obscured any scenic views. It was nice countryside for a ride, though, and the bridges we found were cool. Two of the four we saw were not really accessible; you had to admire them from arms length. The other two, on the other hand have been incorporated into small park settings and were quite nice.

Campbell’s Bridge, built in 1909, is the last covered bridge in South Carolina.

Can't keep the girls out of the water.

The Poinsett Bridge was built in 1820 on what was then the state road from Greenville to Ashville. Today it is preserved, but not restored, miles away from the interstate that now connects those two cities.

The coach service was complete when we returned, so we bundled up inside to spend a grey afternoon with a good book. Tomorrow we will head back to Florida with a planned stop once again in Hardeeville, SC.